Luck of The Titans
by starbin21
Summary: The Titans are trapped with no way out, but someone saves them using powers over earth. Is Terra back, or is there someone new to show the Titans that they can move on to the next chapter of their lives after Terra's betrayal? RobxStar, maybe some BBxRae.
1. The Festival

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans. DC Comics does.

**Author's Note:** This takes place AFTER "Trouble in Tokyo," and the events in "Things Change" never happened in this particular story. R&R is very much appreciated.

**Luck of The Titans**

Chapter 1: The Festival

The St. Patrick's Day festival music was charming and alluring. Beast Boy was freaking out at seeing all the green- just like him and all of the animals he could change into. Bright green banners, little green leprechauns, shining green shamrocks, dark green streamers, giant green parade boats….

"Dude, it's all so green! It's like a Beast Boy Day, but about luck and a place called Ironland! I don't know why they would use green if iron is silver…" The pointy-eared Teen Titan blabbed on.

"Ireland, Beast Boy, Ireland. Plus, green is sort of…their thing. They pay thanks to Saint Patrick, the good saint of luck. It can be a big holiday on Earth, especially if you're from Ireland, or if your ancestors were," Robin, the combat specialist and leader of the Teen Titans, said to his ecstatic green friend, plus adding an explanation for Starfire as he ran an ironically green-gloved hand through his black gel-spiked hair.

Starfire meant the world to Robin. She is Robin's beautiful auburn-haired, emerald-eyed, alien girlfriend and fellow Teen Titan. He was sure she would have questions about the holiday, seeing as she was from the planet Tamaran and was still learning many of Earth's customs since becoming a Teen Titan.

"It is a most glorious and joyful event, is it not?" Starfire said, grinning and clapping her hands while floating in midair, as she did when she was happy.

"A little luck o' the Irish for a pretty young girl with eyes o' emeral's, now?" A man with a thick red beard and a wink in his eye gave Starfire a shamrock pin. "May the luck o' the Irish be with ye, lads!" The man said as he walked off to hand out more pins. Starfire happily clipped the pin to her purple shirt, with the help of Raven, the empath and sorceress of the Titans.

"Do you not enjoy all the green happiness, friend Raven? You are most quiet," Starfire asked her companion with worry in her usually carefree expression.

"The festival is okay, but I've already had my daily dose of green," Raven replied in her usual monotone, and every Titan remembered how Beast Boy had tripped down the stairs while carrying his dirty laundry to the basement earlier that morning, covering an unsuspecting Raven in dirty, nasty, and positively rank clothing.

"Hey, I said I was sorry! It was an accident!" Beast Boy defended himself. Cyborg just laughed. He's the mechanic of the Titans and a half-human and half-machine that can re-wire his circuitry into weapons, and is also Beast Boy's partner in crime.

Beast Boy perked up at the sound of the Irish pipe, turning towards the sound to see a mini stage set up on a street corner not far from where they were standing. A teenage girl in a sparkling, bright emerald, velvet and silk dress with her long, dirty blonde hair whipping her face as she danced the Irish jig while playing the pipe.

"C'mon, let's go! I've always wanted to see Irish dancing!" Beast Boy said, grabbing Starfire's foot hovering in the air and Cyborg's hand, speeding off towards the stage. Robin and Raven shrugged at each other, and then walked after their fellow Titans.

The sweet pipe's music filled everyone's ears, making the citizens of Jump City feel joyful and happy to be alive. The music soon slowed to a stop, and the girl's crystal clear voice rang out to the audience after a long applause.

"Thank you! I now will perform "The Cat's Meow." But I will need help from someone in the audience!" The girl said, with no Irish accent whatsoever.

Immediately, every teenage boy's hand shot into the air, with the exception of Robin and Cyborg. Beast Boy whispered into Starfire's ear, and after she smiled and nodded, he changed into a cat while Starfire threw him up in the air. Beast Boy changed back into himself midair and waved his hand like a maniac, each wave blending into the other, then was caught by Starfire and placed on the ground.

"You! In the back!" Beast Boy pointed at himself in question. "Yes you, the green one! C'mon up here!" The girl waved her arm to the stage she was standing on as a unanimous groan came from the teenage boys in the audience.

Beast Boy squealed in joy, running up to the stage and climbing on. The girl grinned at him and asked his name as she positioned herself to start the jig and placed her fingers on the right holes of the pipe as an older man with a long white beard started playing a soft, yet joyful melody on the guitar behind them.

"My name's Beast Boy, what's yours?" Beast Boy yelled over the guitar and the noisy cheering of the audience.

"Mine's Misty!" The girl yelled back and smiled, then started playing the pipes and dancing to the tune as another middle-aged man with a red hair and mustache started beating drums with his hands in beat with the guitar. Beast Boy realized that that was his cue, and starting transforming into different animals, all green like himself, starting with a cat in recognition of the song.

The music continued, and Beast Boy was having fun entertaining the people of Jump City. He liked to get away from the Tower every now and again and just have fun. He changed back to his human form every now and again, comically trying to copy Misty's complicated jig. The audience laughed and clapped and the music got louder.

Misty paused for a break from the pipe but continued dancing to the rhythmic melody of the guitar and drums, giggling at Beast Boy. He started thinking about the girl. _Misty_, he thought,_ that's a unique name. A pretty name_. Beast Boy blushed a pink hue, barely noticeable on his green features, but quickly shook it off as he thought of Terra, the girl Beast Boy knew he would always love, and who also happened to be encased in stone, miles beneath his feet. The next thing he knew, the song had come to an end.

"You were fantastic, Beast Boy!" Misty yelled to him over the applause. She then spoke into the microphone. "Give it up for Beast Boy!" He then waved to the people and walked off the stage.

"Hope I see you around, Misty! Are you staying in Jump City?" Beast Boy asked.

"Just moved here," Misty said, grinning. "I gotta move on to the next song, but I hope to see you around later!" She then started dancing and playing the pipes again.

Beast Boy made his way through the crowd and back to the Titans.

"Most glorious my green friend! You were wonderful!" An ecstatic Starfire exclaimed.

"Yeah, that was cool, BB. Who is she, anyways? Is she new in town?" Cyborg asked.

"Thanks guys, and yeah, she said her name's Misty and she just moved here. It's weird, 'cause she doesn't seem so freaked out about me being green, like most girls do. It's weird…it's almost like…she's used to it. Or she's seen something like it before." Beast Boy pondered.

"Well she just might not be bothered by it. There are people like that," Robin reasoned.

"No, only Titans, or the Doom Patrol. People with powers of some sort," Beast Boy defended. Robin cleared his throat.

"Well, you're special dude. You have, like, major kung-fu action. You're an exception," Beast Boy said.

"Oh well," Cyborg said. "Let's get back to the Tower. I need to wax the T-Car," Cyborg said, dreaming of his shining vehicle with his blueprint style.

The four Titans turned in the direction of the Tower. All of a sudden, the sound of a blast came from right behind them, and the music stopped. Screaming ensued, and chaos erupted as people ran away from the stage, and the area around it had been consumed by the dust that the stage had become.

"Oh no, Misty!" Beast Boy exclaimed, remembering the new friend he had made.

Dr. Light appeared out of the cloud of dust, with a maniacal grin on his face, exclaiming, "This city shall be MINE!"

He started blasting the Titans relentlessly, before they could lift a hand or change their shape to attack him. But instead of a painful blow, each Titan was encased in an impenetrable bubble. None of Robin's weapons could tear it, Starfire's star bolts nor Raven's magic could pierce it, Cyborg's sonic cannon blasts couldn't rupture it, and none of the largest animals Beast Boy could turn into could enlarge the bubble enough to break it.

"Now that the Teen Titans can't interrupt me, I can finally take over this city, with everything ripe for the taking, with today being the luckiest day of the year!" Dr. Light yelled gleefully.

A large mound of solid rock came up and out of the street and crashed into Dr. Light, taking him by surprise. Beast Boy gasped and looked up the figure about to emerge from the cloud of dust still subsiding from the crushed stage. In such a shock, only one audible word escaped from his lips…

"Terra?"


	2. The Protector

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews- oh wait! I didn't get any! C'mon guys, I didn't think the first chapter was _that_ bad. But two people added it to their alert list, so I would like to say a special thank you to **KiaraFay** and **Viscy Whiskey Poo**. And now on with the story. :)

**Chapter 2: The Protector**

Beast Boy continued to stare at the subsiding cloud of dust from inside of the bubble he was trapped in. His face fell when Misty submerged through the cloud, but was confused. Misty's once bright green dress was torn and dirty with charcoal streaks from the burning wood of what was once the stage she had so happily danced upon, with a bright smile upon her face as her blue eyes shined. But now her smile was gone, and her eyes were now a deep, vivid pool of emerald green. Dr. Light stood up, shaking off the surprise attack.

"Who do you think you are girl, ruining my fun?!" Dr Light yelled, while revving up the paw-like mechanics on his hands. He shot a blast of energy at Misty, but she side-stepped it, deftly and easily, and it set a pile of wood from the destroyed stage on fire. All the Titans could do was sit and watch, being trapped in their own personal prisons. But Misty knew she could take on Dr. Light, and although the Titans held their breath for Misty, there was no need.

A slow but steady wind started forming a sphere around Misty, picking up speed, lifting her into the air as colored swirls started forming within the sphere. Light blue, dark red, filmy silver, sparkling green, and bright gold swirls leaped around the sphere until you could see the teen no longer.

Then the wind slowed, and revealed Misty. She was no longer wearing her green silk dress; she was wearing a light brown tank top that exposed her midriff and only had one strap, a skirt of the same light brown that came half-way down her thighs, and she was barefoot. Misty's dirty blonde hair was now completely blonde, and much longer.

"Guess I'm fighting fire with fire," Misty said while smiling as her eyes turned a brilliant orange, and she took a deep breath and brought the palms of her hands together while hovering in the air above Dr. Light.

Dr. Light's own eyes widened. "Uhh…"

Misty didn't give him a chance to try and form a sentence. She thrust both of her arms forward, palms out, and two flames shot out of her palms, circling around each other, and thrust into her target. The impact knocked him a good twenty feet away into the street, and he was unconscious before he hit the ground. Misty sighed.

"I thought he would be a just a _leettle_ bit more of a challenge," Misty said to the Titans, spreading her thumb and forefinger apart as she landed lightly on the ground. The Titans were now freed, seeing as Dr. Light's technology was smashed as he had been thrown into the pavement.

"Yeah, Dr. Light's not exactly in a right state of mind. Been bent on taking over Jump City for a while now. He's loopy," Cyborg explained while spinning his finger around his ear.

"He might have actually succeeded this time if you didn't show up when you did, so thanks. We're the Teen Titans. I'm Robin, and this is Cyborg-" Cyborg waved, "Raven-" Raven gave a slight nod of the head, "Beast Boy-" Beast Boy grinned at Misty, "and Starfire."

"Hello, wielder of fire and earth!" Starfire crushed Misty in one of her infamous bone-crunching hugs. "Will you be my friend?" Starfire asked excitedly as Robin pulled her away from Misty.

"Haha sure Starfire! And it's not just fire and earth. I use water and wind too. Wind is the only reason I can fly, but I've adapted it so that I can fly while using my other elements," Misty replied as she cracked her neck. "Ow…"she murmured.

"Your powers are really impressive," Robin told Misty as he handcuffed Dr. Light, still unconscious, and handed him over to the police that had since arrived since the end of the fight, as had ambulances to make sure those who had been at the festival were unharmed. Beast Boy was trying to make sense of Misty's sudden hero transformation.

"What- how- I mean- I thought you were-" Beast Boy started stammering.

"I transformed. I'm Naturess in this form though," she said.

"Wait…" Raven spoke up. "You? You're the Protector?" Everyone looked at Raven.

"Who?" Robin asked. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but then Robin held up his hand shook his head.

"Wait, wait. Let's get back to the tower first. I need to follow up on Dr. Light. Would you like to come to our home base? I have a feeling that this explanation will take a while…" Robin asked Naturess.

"Sure! I'd love to check out the digs though! I'm assuming you all live in that huge tower shaped like a "T" in bay?" Naturess asked. Robin nodded. "Very original," Naturess laughed, then added, "But cool! Very cool! Heh..." when Robin gave her a look. "So do we fly?"

Cyborg laughed. "No; you, Starfire, Raven, and BB fly. Robin 'n I can't fly. We walked to the festival from the tower, so Robin will hitch a ride with Star, and I'll get one from BB," Cyborg said as Robin was lifted in the air by Starfire by the hand, and then Beast Boy changed into a pterodactyl and grabbed onto Cyborg's shoulders with his claws.

"Oh. My bad," Naturess said quietly as her eyes turned to a molten silver, and she flew after the Titans to their home.


	3. Armageddon Again

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teen Titans. However, I _do_ own Misty/Naturess.

Chapter 3: Armageddon…Again

After a tour of Titan's Tower led by Starfire, Naturess was amazed. She was astounded at all the technology present, but the homey feel the tower had. She would look at the team members and saw so many bonds.

Robin and Starfire had something very special- the bond of love and companionship. Cyborg and Beast Boy shared a bond of immense friendship and understanding. Raven and Beast Boy were unwittingly tied together by unspoken feelings and tied up emotions. Naturess could feel a great conflict within Raven's mind. She was thinking of…betrayal?

Before Naturess could get a feel for all the emotions that the Titans were inadvertently releasing, Starfire called her name.

"Let us go into the main room now, please," Starfire said to her new friend. Naturess followed her into the kitchen area.

The Teen Titans and Naturess settled down at the kitchen table, ready and waiting for Raven's explanation. Naturess wanted to know what Raven knew, so she stayed quiet as Raven began to speak, knowledge mixing with her normal monotone.

"The Protector is famed in Earth's mystical history. Bestowed with the elements and the Golden Light by powers beyond even the most advanced mystic's understanding in order of the astrological signs, the Protector spreads good will and hope around the globe, protecting the innocent and disposing of any evil that touches upon the Earth. What sign are you?" Raven finished.

Naturess sighed. "Cancer."

Raven's eyes widened, which was a feat. Not much surprises Raven.

"Woah, what's going on? Why is being a cancer so bad? I'm a cancer!" Cyborg said.

"You _both_ have that infectious earthly disease?! Why have you not received treatment?!" A bewildered Starfire said, joining the conversation.

"No, no Star. Being _a _Cancer just means you were born in between June 22nd and July 22nd. It's just a bunch of superstition," Robin said, slipping his hand into Starfire's, trying to reassure her.

"A bunch of superstition, huh? What's your sign?" Naturess said, grinning and crossing her arms defiantly.

"Taurus," Robin replied hesitantly.

"Taurus the bull; headstrong and stubborn, tends to get obsessed over certain things, but has a gentle heart inside the hard, earthly shell," Naturess recited. Starfire gasped.

"You are a mind reader, no?" she said.

"No, it's just that the stars are extremely accurate," Naturess smiled. "You're not from this planet, are you?"

"No. I am from the planet Tamaran. My real name is Koriand'r, which is Starfire in your language," Starfire replied.

"You mean _Princess_ Koriand'r," Robin said, smiling warmly at Starfire. She blushed.

"Hey, you two are real cute together, did you know that?" Naturess smiled.

"So we're told," Robin replied.

"You never answered my question," Cyborg said, changing the subject and looking at Naturess. "What's wrong with being a Cancer?"

"There's nothing wrong with being a Cancer! It's just that Cancer is last in the astrological cycle," Naturess said, then became very serious and focused. "Everything starts in the middle, so there really is no end. That's the point of a cycle, and that's why they chose Cancer to signify the end of one cycle, and beginning of another. But there's a catch for being a Cancer for me," Naturess said, receiving concerned looks from everyone but Raven. Raven knew what was coming.

"If I don't get rid of significant traces of evil on this Earth before I die, the cycle will be broken. Chaos will erupt. Life on Earth as we know it will be wiped out. If I die before my work is finished, Armageddon itself will come," Misty finished, with a grim look upon her face. The team had already heard of something similar, but in the form of Raven's demonic father.

"And if you get rid of this evil?" Robin asked.

"There will be an era of peace and love. The Golden Age will last for a century, before the cycle starts again, for unfortunately evil always exists. It is what balances the cosmos. Light cannot truly triumph over Dark, and vice versa. But we can enjoy it while it lasts," Naturess said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm currently traveling the world, going anywhere I'm needed and where my instincts tell me to go. I'm not about to lose this battle with Fate," Naturess said triumphantly.

"Then why are you here in Jump City? What "significant evil" are you trying to get rid off? The only tough baddy we really have here is Slade," Beast Boy said.

"That's him! That's who I'm here for! Do you realize how dangerous he is? He attacked my home town, and not even that, he made a deal with a _demon_! A nasty, conniving demon who almost destroyed Earth! I was in Europe when I felt him arrive. I thought he was trapped in an inter-dimension. But before I could find him, he vanished, and I never found out why he just…left. His kind don't usually leave like that," Naturess said.

"No, they don't," Raven said. Naturess gave her a questioning look. "We fought Trigon. We almost lost, but won in the end," Raven told her.

"But how did he even get into our world? He would've needed some kind of portal," Naturess commented. Raven didn't usually talk about her experience with Trigon, but somehow, she felt that it was necessary for Naturess to know if she was to fulfill her destiny.

"I was his portal," Raven told Naturess. Naturess had a double-take.

"But- that would mean-"

"Trigon is my father," Raven finished for her.

"Wow…well, kudos to you guys…that's…absolutely amazing. How did you do it?" Naturess asked. The Titans exchanged glances, and Raven nodded to Robin. And so Robin proceeded to tell the story of the Earth's close call with Trigon.

Naturess sat and took in all of the information Robin was giving her. She noticed his tone of disgust whenever Robin said Slade's name. The two had a history; that much was clear.

When Robin finished, he asked how much Naturess knew about Slade, since that was why she was in Jump City.

"Not a whole lot, but I do know that he's a planner. Every move plotted against his opponent. Every strategy practiced to perfection. He enjoys mentally destabilizing his opponents so that their defeat will be easy. But I've never seen him in person."

"I was in eastern Asia when I got an SOS from my home town of Silvershine. I flew there straight from Taiwan. Slade's drones had been attacking Silvershine ruthlessly, and after the third attack since I'd arrived, I finally managed to rip off one of their masks. I wanted to be able to shut it down without destroying it so I could trace the technology. But instead of mechanics, there was a TV screen with who I would find out to be Slade, sending me a live transmission," Naturess recalled.

Robin's eyes behind his mask widened in alarm- the scenario was just too familiar for him.

"Slade told me that if I came to Jump City, he would stop attacking Silvershine. I thought it might be a trick but I had a…a dream. A premonition, if you will. If I did not come here to defeat Slade…well, there'd be nothing left on this earth _to_ save. So here I am," Naturess finished.

"But why you?" Robin asked. "Does he know exactly who you are?"

"I'm assuming so, since he nearly destroyed half of Silvershine merely to get my attention. If I'd just _been _there, then maybe the destruction would have stopped sooner…" Naturess closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

She shook her head, remembering the sight of burning homes and hearing the screams of the people she was supposed to protect. Starfire put a reassuring hand on Naturess' shoulder.

"It is not your fault. Slade is an evil man, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Do not blame yourself," the Tamaranian said softly. Naturess smiled at her half-heartedly.

"We've fought Slade before, but he always comes back somehow. As much as I hate to admit it, the dude's unstoppable," Cyborg commented.

"Well this time, you've got me," Naturess said, smiling. "If you would like to help me, that is."

"Wherever Slade is we **will** stop him, once and for all, and that's a promise," Robin said determination ringing in his voice.

"Where are you staying now? I thought you had said at the festival that you moved here," Beast Boy asked Naturess.

"Heh, well…I kinda lied. People are going to start asking questions when there's a new face in town, so I said I moved here to prevent attention," Naturess answered.

"I was dancing at the festival because they paid me a good amount of money, and I needed it to pay for food. Plus, I was thinking that maybe Slade would show up at a public event like that, and I wanted to be there before he could hurt anyone else," Naturess said to counteract anyone who would ask why she was dancing at the festival if she didn't want to attract any attention.

"Well, where are you staying now?" Robin asked.

"I've been sleeping in a forest not too far from Jump City. I brought some camping stuff with me from my place back in Silvershine. The rest of the time, I've been looking for Slade," Naturess replied. The rest of the team knew what was coming next.

"Absolutely not! No friend of mine will sleep in the wilderness where there are creatures of unknown terror! You should stay with us, here in the tower!" Starfire pleaded with Naturess.

"Hey, it's okay Starfire. I can take care of myself," Naturess winked.

"But, but…" an exasperated Starfire started.

"It's okay Starfire, really. I don't want to intrude. This is your home, not mine," Naturess said, addressing the last part to everyone sitting around the table.

"But if you _really_ want to find out where Slade is, you should stay here. We've got the best tracking technology, and we'll be able to find wherever he's hiding sooner, especially if he knows that you're staying with us in Titan's Tower. But, before you get settled in, we need to tell you about someone. Someone who we trusted, and she betrayed us," Robin started. Beast Boy spoke up.

"Her name was Terra…" And so the story of Terra and her betrayal and redemption was told.

"She couldn't have controlled her powers just like _that_," Naturess snapped her fingers. "I have to meditate **every day** to control mine!" Naturess said when Beast Boy told her of when Terra had come back, claiming to be able to control her powers.

"Good. So do I. It helps me control my emotions- that's how I unleash my powers. It's good to know that you meditate, and I can help you if you need it," Raven said.

"Thanks, I'd like that," Naturess smiled. Robin knew that they were off to a good start with Naturess, especially if Raven could start trusting her this early on.

"So will you stay with us, Naturess?" Starfire asked.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Naturess said, eyes downcast.

The Titans all looked at Robin, who then smiled and said, "We're sure."

"Okay, then I'll stay, for now," Naturess said shyly.

"Oh, glorious!" Starfire clapped her hands in excitement.

"I'm gonna need to get my stuff from the woods though," Naturess replied, standing up. "Misty's still in that tattered dress."

"You're speaking as if Misty is a different person," Raven said, raising her brow.

Naturess sat back down. "She isn't a different person; we're just two halves of a whole. Misty is still Misty, but she's human. She has limited control over the elements, and she can't heal. But I can," Naturess said.

"You can heal? I thought you just control the elements?" Beast Boy asked.

"That's not all I can do," Naturess winked at Beast Boy, who started drooling. Cyborg proceeded to hit him off the back of the head.

"Why don't you train with us tomorrow morning? Then we'll really see what you can do," Robin replied, smirking.

All the Titans knew what was coming- the obstacle course, built by none other than Cyborg, who had redeemed his record since Terra's imprisonment beneath the city.

"Betcha can't beat my record!" Cyborg said, elbowing Naturess.

"Oh, it's _on_," Naturess grinned, and Cyborg laughed.

"We'll see about that little lady," Cyborg said, still laughing.

After retrieving her things from the forest, the Titans gave Naturess Terra's room to sleep in for that night. From the moment Naturess stepped in her room, she could see how much Terra had loved the Earth. The room was painted to give a desert feel, and it worked wonderfully. Naturess was reminded of the night she had spent in the Gobi Desert. There hadn't been a soul in sight, and it was so lonely. But Misty felt everything _but_ lonely with the Titans.

After transforming back into Misty, she took a warm shower and changed into blue and green checkered pajama pants and a red and silver striped t-shirt. Misty crawled under the cotton sheets and felt the softness of the mattress beneath her; she couldn't remember the last time she had last slept in a real bed. A feeling of gratitude towards the Titans washed over Misty. Then the teen fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of friendship, love, and a sense of belonging.


	4. Leap of Faith

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Teen Titans.

Chapter 4: Leap of Faith

"Rise and shine, my fellow residents of Titans Tower! In honor of our new guest, the lovely Miss Naturess, Beast Boy and I have thrown together the **ultimate** brunch! Come and get it before it's all gone!" Cyborg announced over the Tower's speakers, with Beast Boy yelling something about tofu eggs in the background.

A very sleepy and disgruntled Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Misty opened their doors simultaneously and trudged down to the main room of the tower. When the heavenly scent of bacon crept into Misty's nose, however, she shook off her sleepiness and shot over to the kitchen counter, where a buffet off mouth-watering eggs, tofu eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, and of course, waffles.

Misty loaded up her plate with a sample of every single kind of food offered and started chowing down; eating everything piled sky high on her plate, including Beast Boy's tofu eggs. Before any of the other Titans even sat down to eat, Misty had washed down her breakfast with ice cold milk. She patted her stomach contentedly.

"Uh...how long has it been since you've had a decent meal?" Robin asked Misty.

"Too long, that's for sure!" Misty replied well naturedly, and then burped unceremoniously. She blushed a hot pink and covered her mouth. "Um...excuse me?"

"I give it an eight. Five for the execution, but three for sound. If you've got the skill, flaunt it," Cyborg said, then let a loud belch escape to prove his point. Misty held up ten fingers, as did Beast Boy. The three laughed, and Starfire soon joined in. Robin and Raven just raised an eyebrow at the rest of the team, but seeing this Misty stopped laughing.

"What's wrong? I'm sorry if I was being impolite, I didn't mean to be, I just- I mean, I haven't-" Misty started stammering, not wanting to make a bad impression.

"Haven't what? It's okay Misty; it's not you, we would have reacted the same way, even if you weren't here. We just have slightly different senses of humor than they do," Robin reasoned with Misty.

"Or in Raven's case, there's just no sense of humor at all," Beast Boy grinned and raised an eyebrow at Misty, jerking his thumb in Raven's direction. Raven's eyes flashed and Beast Boy's tofu eggs exploded in his face.

"Oops," Raven said sarcastically. Now everyone laughed but Beast Boy, who was now trying to pick tofu egg out of his hair.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whined. "_So _not funny!"

Everyone started laughing again. After the laughter died, Robin cleared his throat.

"You never answered my question Misty. What were you going to say earlier?" Robin asked. Misty sighed, her heart tugging at her chest.

"I, well, I haven't laughed like this in so long. I've been away from home for a long time…I try to talk to my friends and family as much as I can through e-mail or the phone, but being face to face would mean so much more…I just, I mean, I know I was back there to stop Slade's attacks, but I didn't get to see my family or my friends. Once I knew who was behind the attacks, I had to leave again so I could keep them safe…" Misty said, her voice lowering until it was barely above a whisper. Sadness overwhelmed her heart.

She didn't want the Titans to see her so fragile and vulnerable by showing tears, so she collected the Titans empty breakfast plates and walked over to the sink, dropping the plates within it. Misty turned away from the Titans so they wouldn't see the tears forming within her eyes. Starfire's voice stopped her before she could make a run for the main doors.

"How long has it been since you have last seen your family?" Starfire asked, her voice pulsing with concern.

"Almost three years," Misty said, her voice cracking and tears threatening to spill out of her blue eyes. "Excuse me," she said, her voice cracking yet again. The doors opened and then Misty was gone.

Raven looked at the Titans. They looked back at her.

"I'll go talk to her," Raven said.

Misty had transformed into Naturess, and was floating cross-legged above the carpet of Terra's room. Her eyes were shut and didn't open, not even when she heard a knock at Terra's door.

"Um…it's Raven…may I come in?" Raven asked, her voice raising an octave to try and shake her monotone.

"Sure," Naturess replied. Raven punched in the pass code and walked towards Naturess until she was standing beside her.

"Just to let you know, I suck at making people feel better. But I'm a good listener," Raven said. Misty opened her silver eyes at Raven.

"Why did you change into Naturess?" Raven asked.

"I don't feel as much emotion. Misty needed to calm down, and I'm like her novacaine. I numb the emotion. The pain that she's feeling," Naturess explained.

"I get that three years is a long time, but why is she so heart broken? I haven't seen my mother in years, and I just plain hate my father," Raven said.

"Well, no offense Raven, but your father's a demon bent on taking over the world. Misty's dad isn't. Plus…it isn't that simple," Naturess said.

"Then unsimplify it. Let me understand. I want to help. I'm not usually this generous, Naturess. But there's something about your aura…something that I can't quite understand. And to be honest, it's bothering the crap out of me. I don't know if it's good or bad, and I want to be able to protect my friends. Including you," Raven said as she joined Naturess, floating next to her in a meditation pose.

"Raven, do you trust me?" Naturess asked, turning her head to face Raven.

"I don't know yet," Raven replied honestly.

"I could sense something when Starfire was giving me a tour of the tower. You were thinking about betrayal," Naturess said bluntly.

"I was thinking about Terra. I was thinking that you had a resemblance to her, and I started thinking of the first time we showed her around the Tower. But up close, you actually look a lot different," Raven added to try and reassure Naturess.

"I want you to be able to trust me. I know that your powers can reach inside of my mind. I'm giving you an open invitation to see what's inside. I want to be able to be trusted," Naturess said.

"Are you sure? It might be a little…unpleasant," Raven said, taken a little aback at how Naturess trusted _her _so completely. She was the daughter of a demon, after all. And after all of the things Terra had said to her as the hands so created dragged her deeper and deeper into the thick, viscous mud…

"_Come on, Raven. What stings the most? That I tricked_ _you? That I nearly wiped out your team?"_

Raven grew angry again. It still stung, to this day.

"_Or is it that deep down inside you really believed I was your friend?"_

Raven shook away the painful memories. She was **never **going to allow herself to be betrayed like that again, even if Terra really did save them all in the end.

"Alright," Raven said to Naturess. "Face me and close your eyes."

Naturess did as Raven asked. Raven closed her own eyes and placed her fingertips on Naturess' forehead. And with a leap of faith that Raven had never even dreamed of taking before, Raven entered the mind of Naturess.

**Author's Note:** Just a lil' bit of a cliffie. I know Raven may be a little OOC, but I'm trying my best, so deal with it. ;P And I would very much appreciate at least **two **reviews before I continue. Just two! I know I'll probably continue anyways because I actually like where this story is going, but please? I would feel oh-so-good about myself. Reviews are a writer's best friend, because they allow us to receive feedback on the good and bad of a story. And I didn't edit this chapter because it was late when I finished it, so I know there may be some mistakes. I believe the little green 'Review' button should be below this Author's Note. Thank you very very very much :) I'm tired and babbling, so I'm gonna stop typing now. Heh heh…


	5. Trust

**Disclaimer:** DC Comics owns the Teen Titans, and I own Misty/Naturess.

**Author's Note:** This chapter is dedicated to **Bookits**, considering that she inspired me to shake about seven months of cobwebs off this story and finally write another chapter. Thank you. :)

Chapter 5: Trust

"MISTY!" The teenage boy yelled over the roar of the fire, holding on to the ledge for dear life as flames licked his feet. The grassy field was unfamiliar to Raven, and she yearned to reach out and help the boy.

But she knew it was a memory, for her presence wasn't acknowledged by the scruffy blonde boy, or by a slightly younger Misty, who was standing above the boy with a surprised expression on her face and her eyes a blazing, haunting mandarin orange.

The blonde boy reasoned with Misty, pleaded with his soft, chocolate eyes, but unable to hide the fear behind them. It wasn't Misty he was afraid of, though, it was the fact that he was holding on to a rock of the cliff, an unnatural crevice in the earth protruding hot flames beneath him.

"Misty, you've got to snap out of it," the boy's voice dropped, his eyes fixated on Misty's face, and Raven could barely hear him. "You can control it. I know you can. I have faith in you."

After a moment, the flames calmed a bit, diminishing slowly. The bright orange of Misty's eyes dimmed significantly, and she stumbled, collapsing on her knees. She then drew a long, shaky breath and her eyes became sea-green once more. The flames extinguished, and the crack in the earth began to close.

"Cameron," Misty breathed as she helped him up, and he finally regained enough strength to roll himself onto the grass. He caught his breath as Misty kneeled by his side, uttering many apologizes between questions of his condition.

"I'm so sorry Cameron! Are you alright? Does your head hurt? I'm so sorry! Are your legs burned? How are your hands-" Misty was stopped abruptly by an unscathed hand across her mouth.

"I'm fine, Misty. It's okay. I'm okay," the boy said as he sat up, then finally dropped his hand from her mouth. A silent tear ran down Misty's face.

"Cameron, I am _so sorry_…" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"It's okay, Misty," Cameron said as he pulled Misty into a tight hug. "It's okay," he crooned, "everything is going to be just fine…"

Snapshots of what had just taken place flashed before Raven's eyes, and all pulled together with three new faces. The first was a caucasian girl with black hair and molten silver eyes, with a bright smile and happy expression. The next was of another caucasian girl with red-tinted black hair, brightly dazzling emerald eyes, and a grin on her face. The third was a boy of African-American decent, with short-cut black hair and eyes the color of the sparkling sea, a smirk plastered to his face.

The last face was of the boy Raven had seen in Misty's memory, Cameron. His hair was more of a dirty blonde, yet brighter than Misty's hair, and his eyes burned a bright orange, with a lopsided grin on his lips. The puzzle pieces locked into place within Raven's brain. She pulled back and gasped.

"_And the Five shall illuminate the world, just as a star requires each tip to shine in order to create its form, and Goodness shall triumph over Evil_," Raven recited from one of her ancient books of old magic.

"Yes," Naturess said, and Raven's sight returned to Terra's room inside the tower, the sun about to set on the horizon.

"You've just seen my future apprentices. Coincidentally, all of their eyes are normally brown, but you saw the elements they are destined to discover in their eyes. The first one you saw, Elizabeth, uses the intellectual air; the second, Ashley, has power over the dependable earth; the third, Mark, can render the ever-changing and feeling water; and the last, Cameron, can wield the honest fire. All four are friends of Misty's. She's known Elizabeth and Cameron since childhood, and befriended Ashley and Mark later," Naturess finished.

"Wow," Raven breathed. "And that memory…?"

"Was one of my most vulnerable moments. I'm not proud of what happened there. Misty really lost control. But she's better at that now. _We _are better at that now," Naturess corrected herself.

"Has the Five already formed, or do they not know of their powers yet?" Raven inquired.

"They do not know, not yet," Naturess replied. "They will learn when they are ready, but I have to be there when they learn, so the Five will not form until I return home again."

Raven took in everything Naturess- no, _Misty_- had just shown her. Misty's most vulnerable moment. It took a lot of trust for someone like Misty to show her something like that.

"Raven, I hope this showed you that I am someone you can trust, and I swear on the fate of this world that I will _not _betray you or your teammates. Your friends," Naturess said in a firm, yet gentle voice. Raven smiled- a feat that is not easy to accomplish.

"They're your friends too now, Naturess, as am I," Raven said.

Naturess grinned, then glowed gold as she turned back into Misty. The girl could not wipe the grin off her face.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," Misty laughed, mock-punching Raven's shoulder as both girls left Terra's room and walked into the main room of the tower. All four of the remaining Titans winced, waiting for Raven to lash out with her magic. But Raven merely gave a small smile and nodded slightly. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy looked at one another, mouths agape.

"Well, clearly a lot went on in that room during half of the day you were in there, or you'd be seeing stars right about now," Cyborg grinned, mussing Misty's hair. Both Misty and Raven's stomachs grumbled at the same time, and both blushed.

"We missed lunch," Misty tried to explain, but Beast Boy eased her concerns.

"We already ordered pizza," Beast Boy grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Hope you like plain cheese," Robin said sympathetically.

"I love it!" Misty grinned. "I'll have some tea to tide me over. _Please _tell me that you guys have tea."

"I have the left-hand cupboard full of different flavors of tea. Help yourself to any one you'd like," Raven said. Misty thanked her and turned on the hot water, then began raiding the tea cupboard with one particular flavor in mind. She squealed in delight when she found her quarry.

"You have cinnamon tea?!" Misty cried in delight.

"Apparently," Raven replied, monotone as ever.

"Dude, you actually _like_ that cinnamon stuff? It tastes like metal! No offense, Cy," Beast Boy added.

"None taken, BB," Cyborg said.

"I quite like cinnamon tea, thank you very much," Misty said, sticking her tongue out at him. He stuck his out back at her.

"Looks like you'll have to show us what you can do with your abilities tomorrow, Misty," Robin said, changing the subject as he eyed the sun sinking beneath the sea.

"Oh, sorry about that," Misty said, her eyes downcast.

"No, no, it's alright. What were you two talking about for so long in that room anyways?" Robin asked, his curiosity piqued. Raven gave a look to Misty, who nodded in silent approval as she sipped her still-steaming cup of tea.

Raven explained all through dinner, but everyone listened intently and chewed in silence. All were awed by the prophecy that Raven recited yet again to end her explanation. There were a few moments of silence before Misty spoke up.

"It reminds me of you guys," she said.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked.

"The Five that allow Goodness to triumph over Evil. And there are five of you."

The Titans allowed this to sink in. After an awkward silence, Beast Boy spoke up.

"I think it's time we test her skills, Cyborg," he grinned at Misty, stroking an invisible mustache.

"I believe so; I feel that the force is strong with this one," Cyborg grinned back.

"I thought we were gonna wait until tomorrow?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, not with your powers, young padawan…but with your fingers," Beast Boy winked, and Cyborg twiddled his thumbs as if he were holding a videogame controller.

"Oh, videogames?" Misty brightened, her eyes twinkling as she rose from the table and ran to the couch. "You boys are in for a world of hurt," she warned.

"Oh really?" Cyborg said, and the two began to race on the huge mega-screen, with Beast Boy comically announcing each move and Starfire cheering for Misty. Robin and Raven stayed at the table, watching their new friend give Cyborg a run for his money.

"We can trust her, then?" Robin said, turning his eyes towards Raven.

"Absolutely. This is a lot bigger than us, Robin. She came here for Slade. We spend most of our time fighting him. We're meant to help her, Robin. She's been helping people all her life; it's high time someone has helped her."

Robin nodded in agreement, then spoke with determination, "Maybe she's what we need to finally take him down. The edge we've been missing. He'll be expecting her, alright; but Misty will not be alone in this battle," he vowed.


End file.
